Alaska recommendations

[GypsieMom]

I am beginning to look for a 7-night cruise to Alaska.  Does anyone have recommendations for a particular cruise line, places to definitely see, as well as things to avoid.  Is it better to depart Seattle or Vancouver?  We have been to the Caribbean on Princess and NCL, but are not familiar with other lines.  Someone had recommended HAL.  Thanks in advance for recommendations.

[paul929207]

Princess and HAL are the main carriers in Alaska. Each has about a half dozen ships in Alaska each year. 

 

I would recommend a cruise that it includes Glacier Bay

[Flatbush Flyer]

OP: It is hard for anyone to recommend a specific cruise line without knowing far more about your "travel profile." 

 

What are your preferences and expectations when it comes to things like food quality and service, passenger demographics, etc AND the means to pay for it? What experiences do you seek with pre/post cruise land stays? The list goes on....

 

That said, when it comes to Alaska, (IMO) a smaller ship (e.g., Oceania Regatta w/ <700 passengers) gets you "up close and personal" with attractions like the Hubbard Glacier (IMO, more spectacular than Glacier Bay).

 

And, despite what some other posters may say, choice of the right ship should always be an important consideration. After all, it will be your home away from home.

 

As for Vancouver vs Seattle, both are terrific cities with fine restaurants and numerous attractions. However, I suggest that you consider a bit longer cruise that starts in San Francisco and lets you have a less than the typical/hurried ("cookie cutter") Alaska experience coupled with a few pre-cruise land days in America's favorite city.

Edited January 3, 2020 by Flatbush Flyer

[GypsieMom]

Thanks for your replies.  We are a retired couple, grandparents, who can usually keep up with the grandkids, so a diverse population on board is fine.  Our interests are mainly the scenery, glaciers, small towns, wildlife if possible.  We don't care for fancy foods and don't need pampering by the staff.  Some good on-board entertainment is always welcome.  I like your comment about a smaller ship and its ability to get closer to attractions, but perhaps bigger than 700 passengers.  We've been to Seattle, so Vancouver is what we are considering for perhaps a day or so pre-cruise.

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, GypsieMom said:

I am beginning to look for a 7-night cruise to Alaska.  Does anyone have recommendations for a particular cruise line, places to definitely see, as well as things to avoid.  Is it better to depart Seattle or Vancouver?  We have been to the Caribbean on Princess and NCL, but are not familiar with other lines.  Someone had recommended HAL.  Thanks in advance for recommendations.

We did a 14 day Alaska vacation with HAL.Seven days land and seven days cruise.It was wonderful.On land the highlights were Danali National Park and Anchorage.

We flew to Minneapolis and boarded a relatively small plane to Fairbanks.We returned from Vancouver,BC.

[VennDiagram]

Are you planning on a round-trip or a one-way trip?

 

I agree -- leave from Vancouver, a world class city with lots to experience.

 

One thing to really look at is how much time you spend in each port.  That can vary widely between cruiselines. 

 

21 minutes ago, GypsieMom said:

Some good on-board entertainment is always welcome. 

 

That might eliminate Holland America, despite them ticking most of your other boxes.   HAL evening entertainment isn't the best.

 

We sail HAL to Alaska regularly, for the long port times and the Inside Passage (VERY scenic) out of Vancouver.  Also, we are Canadian, so we like our pre-cruise hotel and meal expenses are in Canadian dollars 😉 For us, especially in Alaska, we are usually too tired by evening to take in entertainment. Up at dawn, walking the deck, watching for whales, dolphins, otters.  Busy on shore, then back on the deck in the evening.  That is not everyone's style, though.

 

edited to add:  you will very likely get people recommending THEIR PERSONAL PREFERENCE of cruise lines, so you may need to sort through those 😉

Edited January 3, 2020 by VennDiagram

[WisconsinFan]

We did HAL round trip out of Seattle in 2008 for a 50th wedding anniversary. We had 4 kids (elementary, middle and high school), 4 grown kids and then the grandparents. We chose this route as the grandparents are HAL loyalists (hey, why not give them the points), air round trip out of Seattle was more favorable than one way and the itinerary went to Glacier Bay.

 

Alaska is port heavy, so entertainment was not a big issue for us. The few shows we went to were fine. As we went in June it was light until midnight. We often were too tired to go to a show or just wanted to sit in the Crow's Nest, drink some Alaska beer and watch the world go by. Many multi-generational families. We found the food to be great and the service outstanding. I loved that HAL had fresh flowers everywhere! As we sailed from Seattle we hit Pike Market the morning of departure and bought huge bouquets of fresh flowers for our staterooms. Our attendant brought us containers for them. They lasted the entire 7 days and were a nice addition to our rooms.

 

HAL and Princess are the ones known for Alaska and so I would start there. Look at the itineraries they are offering, and of course the dates. The prices may surprise you a bit if you are used to Caribbean cruises. I think just because the port taxes are a bit more.

 

Check out the Alaska board here as well for ideas.

[XBGuy]

GM. do you have a preference for a 7-day roundtrip cruise or a one-way cruise?

 

Somebody might correct me here, but I think that all the 7-day cruises out of Seattle are roundtrips.  So, you return to Seattle.  From Vancouver you can look at both 7-day roundtrip or 7-day one-way northbound cruises.

 

Wnen taking the northbound one-way itinerary keep in mind that you are then looking at a lengthy flight from Anchorage back home.  At the end of a cruise, I find myself fatigued and emotionally drained.  Sitting in a pressurized metal tube with 150 other people for five or six hours when I am tired and, to be honest, cranky, is no fun.  There have also been times when I have picked up a respiratory infection in the last days of a cruise which makes flying even harder.  Taking a southbound one-way cruise implies that the long flight to Anchorage is somewhat ameliorated by the fact that at the beginning of your vacation adrenalin will be pumping you up.  Then, your return flight from Vancouver will be a tad shorter.  This is not meant to confuse you.  I just felt that I wanted to add my own prejudice.

 

😉

 

Typically, either the roundtrip or the one-way cruises visit the same Alaska ports:  Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.  The roundtrip cruises out of Seattle will also visit Victoria, BC.  Two of the smaller port stops in Alaska are Icy Strait Point and Sitka.  These ports are much less "touristy" than the other three, but there are fewer cruises that visit them.  So, you may have to search a bit harder to find itineraries that visit them.

 

I have taken six Alaska cruises--one Southbound cruise and five roundtrip cruises out of Los Angeles and San Francisco.  On every one of them I saw glaciers and wildlife.  I see no problem that you will attain those goals on whatever cruise you book.

 

Be sure to take binoculars.

[CruiserBruce]

Probably some research on the Alaska board, here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/33-alaska/

 

would be beneficial.

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, WisconsinFan said:

We did HAL round trip out of Seattle in 2008 for a 50th wedding anniversary. We had 4 kids (elementary, middle and high school), 4 grown kids and then the grandparents. We chose this route as the grandparents are HAL loyalists (hey, why not give them the points), air round trip out of Seattle was more favorable than one way and the itinerary went to Glacier Bay.

 

Alaska is port heavy, so entertainment was not a big issue for us. The few shows we went to were fine. As we went in June it was light until midnight. We often were too tired to go to a show or just wanted to sit in the Crow's Nest, drink some Alaska beer and watch the world go by. Many multi-generational families. We found the food to be great and the service outstanding. I loved that HAL had fresh flowers everywhere! As we sailed from Seattle we hit Pike Market the morning of departure and bought huge bouquets of fresh flowers for our staterooms. Our attendant brought us containers for them. They lasted the entire 7 days and were a nice addition to our rooms.

 

HAL and Princess are the ones known for Alaska and so I would start there. Look at the itineraries they are offering, and of course the dates. The prices may surprise you a bit if you are used to Caribbean cruises. I think just because the port taxes are a bit more.

 

Check out the Alaska board here as well for ideas.

We also went in 2008.An interesting thing was that there was a demonstration going on.People were picketing against the Governor who we never heard of before,Sarah Palin.

[martincath]

4 hours ago, GypsieMom said:

Thanks for your replies.  We are a retired couple, grandparents, who can usually keep up with the grandkids, so a diverse population on board is fine.  Our interests are mainly the scenery, glaciers, small towns, wildlife if possible.  We don't care for fancy foods and don't need pampering by the staff.  Some good on-board entertainment is always welcome.  I like your comment about a smaller ship and its ability to get closer to attractions, but perhaps bigger than 700 passengers.  We've been to Seattle, so Vancouver is what we are considering for perhaps a day or so pre-cruise.

What about sticking with Princess, who you know, then? Coral offers both a May RT cruise out of Vancouver as well as one-ways going here to Whittier or the reverse throughout the summer. The Princess Alaska package is also on paper the best - despite HAL having the same owners, same land tour options etc. they do not offer as much onboard Alaskan stuff as Princess do (who bring on husky puppies, Iditarod racers to give talks, even axe-throwing contests you can sign up for) plus the onboard entertainment in the evenings does tend to run a bit more varied and less sedate than HAL.

 

If you want to do an RT in peak summer though, HAL keep running those out of Vancouver whereas Princess don't - but if you are willing to go in September there's a 10 day RT on the Grand that goes to Sitka and ISP as well as the typical trio, plus both Hubbard and Glacier Bay scenic cruising days. If you're good with a one-way then you have many more options right through the season.

 

Your preferences re: wildlife may impact your possible dates - in general whales are there before the first ship and after the last, so you will always see them if you pay attention or take a whalewatch trip; bears are also spottable much of the season (May onward), but if you want a floatplane ride to Anan or similar to get up close, you need to wait until the salmon runs so Aug is your best bet; eagles you'd really have to try extremely hard not to see; sea otters are a viable target from Sitka on a boat tour throughout the season.

[Canuker]

OP: I agree with other posters. So much to see in Alaska; see if you can fit in more than 7 days.

[Cruzaholic41]

HAL and Oceania entertainment suck so based on what you said you’re looking for, I’d rule them out right now. 
 

I recommend a one-way Vancouver to Seward cruise on either Royal Caribbean or Celebrity.  
 

Princess is also a good option. The one-way Vancouver to Whittier route is good.  

[Heidi13]

9 hours ago, GypsieMom said:

I am beginning to look for a 7-night cruise to Alaska.  Does anyone have recommendations for a particular cruise line, places to definitely see, as well as things to avoid.  Is it better to depart Seattle or Vancouver?  We have been to the Caribbean on Princess and NCL, but are not familiar with other lines.  Someone had recommended HAL.  Thanks in advance for recommendations.

Suggest reading threads in the Alaska Forum and also talking to an experienced travel agent. Based on your research, develop a list of places you want to see.

 

Been to Alaska a few times and glaciers are a definite must for us. In Glacier Bay, you may not see the most impressive Glaciers in Alaska, but it is a spectacular day of scenic cruising accompanied with talks from the Rangers. Tracy Arm is also impressive, but I only ever made it to the glacier once. Hubbard is huge, but can also be blocked by ice.

 

For Vancouver v's Seattle - Seattle is an extra 100 mls to Alaska and the ships also spend more time on ocean passage. Personally, we prefer sailing the more scenic route with more of the Inside Passage from Vancouver.

[crystalspin]

4 hours ago, GypsieMom said:

We are a retired couple, grandparents, who can usually keep up with the grandkids, so a diverse population on board is fine.  Our interests are mainly the scenery, glaciers, small towns, wildlife if possible.  We don't care for fancy foods and don't need pampering by the staff.  Some good on-board entertainment is always welcome.  I like your comment about a smaller ship and its ability to get closer to attractions, but perhaps bigger than 700 passengers.  We've been to Seattle, so Vancouver is what we are considering for perhaps a day or so pre-cruise.

Vancouver is a good choice; that way you get to sail between Vancouver Island and British Columbia (very scenic). A seven-day cruise will probably go to Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. Those are small towns compared with Washington DC, but for really small towns, you would probably need a 14-day cruise or a cruise-tour.

 

We have done three HAL Alaska cruises (one way Vancouver-Seward, roundtrip Vancouver, and 14-day roundtrip Seattle). The first two "did" Glacier Bay and the latter, Hubbard Glacier. Both were excellent viewing, with Hubbard being the most massive and BLUE. We have a 14-day L.A. roundtrip booked with Princess because couldn't resist sailing from our homeport, no flying! However we don't mind the three or so seadays either side of being in Alaska!

[Tx-Bev]

Hi Gypsie Mom,

I haven't been to Alaska YET but my husband and I recently booked on NCL Jewel for it's Aug 31,2020 sailing out of Vancouver to Seward and will finish up an additional week in Alaska staying at AirBnbs and doing  a self-guided driving tour that will allow us to explore the Seward Highway, Anchorage area, Chugach State Park, the Mat-Su Valley, Denali National Park, and Fairbanks areas.

 

Being an inveterate researcher, ever since my husband announced "an Alaska Cruise" as my combined Christmas/Birthday present, I've been trolling the internet looking for how we can  make the most of our upcoming vacation!  Like you, we're a retired couple, in good health, and with an interest in scenery, wildlife, etc.   While we can manage a cruise every 2 to 3 years IF we economize as much as possible, we don't have an unlimited budget.  Thus I'm always looking to get maximum enjoyment out of our vacation dollars.  Plus, doing the research is a big part of the fun!

 

To the extent it might be helpful, I'm happy to share what we've planned thus far and why. 

 

We chose NCL in large part because of its Freestyle dining. We have cruised on a couple of other lines over the years but keep coming back to NCL... specifically because of Freestyle Dining.  We enjoy meeting new people and Freestyle lets us do that quite easily by simply telling the maitre 'd when we go to dinner that we would prefer to join a "shared table" rather than dining alone.  Typically we get seated more quickly than those waiting for private tables AND over the years we've met some wonderful folks, some of whom we've kept in touch with on a long term basis.  On the other hand, on those rare occasions that we wind up dining with a "bore" - well, it's just for one meal!    On other ships, one can get stuck with a table-mate that sets one's teeth on edge for the entire cruise.  And when that happens, you're pretty much forced to spend extra money for specialty dining just to avoid the bore!  Been there, done that.

 

Secondly, we're not big on dressing up.  And, given that we'll need to pack clothing for outdoor activities in highly variable Alaska weather,  I really really really don't want to have to lug around (nor pay extra baggage fees) for an extra suitcase with evening clothes, dress shoes, make-up, etc. just so we can dress up while on board.   NCL, which has no required dress up evenings suits us perfectly!  I figure a black wool turtleneck, some black jeans and maybe a colorful scarf will do just fine for dressing-up enough for photos.  And the clothes will do double duty for layering warmth the rest of our vacation!

 

I do enjoy a good meal but we never bother anymore with specialty dining on cruises.  For us, traveling is all about seeing new places and having adventures that we cannot have at home. I don't care how "great" a cruise ship's specialty dining restaurant is,  I I can get just as fine a meal - or a better one - at one of the many great restaurants in my hometown. And those won't cost nearly as much.

 

We chose to go in early September even tho it IS the rainiest time of year in Alaska, because September is also the "shoulder season,"   so prices for the cruise, post-cruise accommodations, and airfares to/from Alaska were significantly less that during high summer.   The other option for lower prices would have been early spring (late May), but we have a family wedding at that time plus we were worried about there still being lots of snow on the ground making driving more hazardous.  So September it was.  We were able to find enough "deals" on flights, accommodations, and our cruise and to stretch our travel budget to cover the extra week of land-touring!  Earlier in the season, we couldn't afford the additional week!

 

Silver (Coho) Salmon are still running in September and berries are ripening.  Bears and other wildlife will be "feeding up" in preparation for the winter ahead.  And fall is mating season for moose, musk oxen, and caribou who often do so in open areas.  Birds are beginning their migration south, etc.  So I figure our chances of seeing wildlife should be pretty good. And we're hoping for some Autumn coloring .

 

Also, in early September (our cruise week) the days are still quite long but rapidly getting shorter.  By mid-September (when we plan to be in Denali and then in Fairbanks), it should be getting dark early enough that we can have at least some hope of catching a view of the Northern Lights!

 

I'm in the process of scheduling our "excursions" for our cruise stops but, since we don't enjoy being herded around like sheep on big buses, we won't be doing any of the cruise ship excursions.  Because cruise reviewers all pretty much agree that the big cruise ships don't typically get close enough to whales to get a good view, we have booked  a 3 hour small-boat whale-watching excursion while we're in Juneau. That is the only "major excursion" we're planning to do and booking it independently saved about 40% over the least expensive whale watch trip offered thru the cruise ship.

 

In Skagway, we've already reserved a rental car and we plan to drive up the Klondike Hwy towards thru Carcross  to Whitehorse (capitol of Canada's Yukon territory) which is 110 miles from Skagway. We'll picnic alongside of the road, and stop to take pictures and/or hike where ever the mood strikes us.  The Klondike Hwy pretty much parallels the White Pass scenic railway route - so we should see many of the same views, with the advantage that we can stop and take pictures if we want to instead of having to try to shoot thru a moving train window!  Plus, the railway excursion train turns around and heads back to Skagway after only about 25 miles.  And our rental car costs less than a single ticket on the train.

 

Once we reach Seward, we've booked the direct shuttle bus to Anchorage which will get us to the Airport before noon.  We'll , pick up our rental car and turn around and back toward Seward to explore Turnagain Arm, the Wildlife Conservation Center,  Portage Lake area, and Alyeska Tramway at our leisure instead of on the Tour/Shuttlebus schedule.  When it gets dark, or when we get tired, we'll head on to our  first AirBnb in the Wasilla area (about an hour northeast of Anchorage.)  We'll stay three nights at this AirBnb, spending two days taking day trips to explore Chugach State Park, the Mat-Su Valley (including Matanuska glacier) and Glenn Highway, and the Hatcher Pass area.  Then we'll check out and spend a leisurely day driving up the Parks Highway -sightseeing along the way - to our second AirBnb which is about 45 minutes north of Denali.  We'll stay four nights at the second AirBnb, allotting two full days to visiting Denali and one day to sightseeing around Fairbanks and the Chena River Recreation Area and possibly dropping by Chena Hot Springs to soak for awhile.   If the weather is reasonably clear, we plan to stay out late in the Fairbanks area in the hopes of catching sight of the aurora. If predictions are good for Aurora sighting, we may even drive north or west of Fairbanks to optimize our chances. 

 

Our Airbnb allows a noon checkout, so, if we're out late, we can sleep and still have plenty of time to drive the 5 hours back to Anchorage and have a leisurely dinner before heading to the airport at to catch our 10PM flight home.  

 

BTW, it turns out that google maps has turned into a pretty good resource for finding scenic drives and scenic viewing areas.  If you click on the pegman (but don't drag him to a particular road) you'll notice little circles suddenly appear on the map.  Those are where users have linked photographs they've taken of the area.  You can see the linked photo by hovering your cursor over one of the circles.  I've found that  when there are lots of little circles clustered in one area, invariably the views are amazing... as verified by dragging pegman onto the  road and looking at what google  recorded.  Sometimes the circles aren't right on or near roads, but going to AllTrails.com usually reveals that there is a "trail" in the area.  I've taken note of some of the easier trails so we can hike them.

 

Okay, probably way more info that you wanted to know and possibly much of it is not on point for you. But maybe it'll give you some ideas.

 

Best wishes and have fun planning!

[evandbob]

A whole different perspective than the previous poster - Sail in early or mid August on a 7 day one way route from Vancouver and schedule a week before or after as a week long land tour.  The weather will be much nicer and not as variable or totally inclement as can happen in the shoulder seasons.

 

Both Holland and Princess are the most experienced in Alaska and can cruise Glacier Bay - some other lines are quite limited in their access.  Our feeling to book Princess land tour was to experience as much of Alaska as possible and not try to cut corners on a once in a lifetime trip.

 

Compare the ports visited and the time spent in each and decide if that corresponds with your preferences.  Fairbanks and Denali deserve lots of time on the land tour as well.  We booked several all day cruise excursions that took us away from the port areas to view wildlife (bears, eagles) that we may not have been as comfortable if we were on private tours.

 

The OP has to decide what will work to their advantage.  Hopefully, there will be many diverse opinions posted to help them decide.  Enjoy your cruise!

[Coral]

On 1/3/2020 at 9:24 AM, Flatbush Flyer said:

 

That said, when it comes to Alaska, (IMO) a smaller ship (e.g., Oceania Regatta w/ <700 passengers) gets you "up close and personal" with attractions like the Hubbard Glacier (IMO, more spectacular than Glacier Bay).

 

You actually need a ship with less than 100 passengers to get the up and personal you are talking about. There is very little difference between 700 and 2000 passengers.

 

Having been to both, I prefer Glacier Bay as it is more predictable. Hubbard Glacier is missed quite a bit. Glacier Bay is a gorgeous day all day vs Hubbard is one large glacier. Both unique and good but people have a greater chance of going to Glacier Bay.

[Coral]

59 minutes ago, evandbob said:

A whole different perspective than the previous poster - Sail in early or mid August on a 7 day one way route from Vancouver and schedule a week before or after as a week long land tour.  The weather will be much nicer and not as variable or totally inclement as can happen in the shoulder seasons.

 

End of May is actually a great time (for a shoulder season). It is far less likely to rain in May/first of June than in August.

[Decpl]

In 2016 did a Princess Cruise and pre cruise land tour and was great, This August we are going again but with Celebrity

with a pre cruise land tour. We did Celebrity do to having a lot of  onboard  credit, As far as dealings Princess was far easier to deal with and more knowledge, we keep getting transferred with requests for air info and land portion info. Star Princess was grat and land tour were very organized. If you take the cruise a Land tour is a must, so beautiful is Alaska!

[oaktreerb]

On 1/3/2020 at 6:41 AM, GypsieMom said:

I am beginning to look for a 7-night cruise to Alaska.  Does anyone have recommendations for a particular cruise line, places to definitely see, as well as things to avoid.  Is it better to depart Seattle or Vancouver?  We have been to the Caribbean on Princess and NCL, but are not familiar with other lines.  Someone had recommended HAL.  Thanks in advance for recommendations.

 

Since you have cruised on Princess ships you may want to begin by looking at Princess cruises that sail from Vancouver (most scenic) and go to Glacier Bay National Park.   Plan to take a whale watching excursion from Juneau or Icy Strait Point.  Actually, for a first Alaska cruise I would make Glacier Bay my #1 priority.

[GypsieMom]

Thanks everyone for your helpful comments. A 7-night, southbound is what looks best for us at this time on Princess, either Coral on 5/27 or Grand on 5/16.  Does it make a difference?  I’m a bit confused about getting from the airport to the ship for embarkation. Also wondering, is a port-side cabin better for a southbound trip?  

[XBGuy]

GM. I have no experience with the Coral Princess.  I have cruised twice on the Grand Princess and enjoyed both cruises which were both AK roundtrip cruises out of San Francisco.  So, I guess I'm not giving you much help on ship choice, personally, I would not hesitate to cruise Alaska on either one.  I will add that that the Grand Princess has a very nice no extra charge sitdown pizza parlor called Alfredos.  It's midship on (I think) Deck 5.

 

I would suggest that you take the Princess transfer from Anchorage to Whittier.  I firmly believe in keeping things simple.

 

Regarding what side, I, as usual, have a different opinion.  Regardless of where you are on the ship, you will miss something.  If you are on the starboard side, you will miss something on the port side.  If you are at the bow of the ship, you will miss something off the stern.  The good news is that wherever you are on the ship, you will see some amazing sites.  Here is an example of what I mean.  As we were departing from Ketchikan last September, we spotted this just off our balcony.  In six AK cruises, this was the first time I'd ever seen this.  So, we were pretty jazzed.  Do you know what it is?

 

 

 

It's a bubble net.  A feeding behavior of whales.  I guarantee that very few of the 3600, or so, people on the Royal Princess saw this that day.

 

He did pop up well after our balcony had passed him.  I apologized for the poor picture quality, but you get the idea.

 

 

 

[lynncarol]

Tx Bev

I don't understand why you would take ship transport from Seward to Anchorage, then rent car and head back down to Seward again. Why not just spend the night there after disembarking ...you can take a Kenai fjords cruise and visit Exit glacier without a car. (There is a free shuttle around town and our hotel offered an excursion to the glacier). The next evening take the 6:00 pm train back to Anchorage, and it should still be enough daylight to see some initial sights enroute. If you really feel you must see Turnagain Bay it is not that long a drive from Anchorage...then head to Girdwood  and take the tram up at Alyeska (sp?) resort where the views from the top are outstanding.

[Tx-Bev]

lynncarol,

 

When I wrote that we would pick up our rental in Anchorage "head back towards Seward," I didn't mean to imply that we intended to drive all the way back to Seward.  Our intent IS to backtrack to see Turnagain Bay, Girdwood (Alyeska tram), and the Wildlife Conservation Center at our leisure.  We might also take the short drive down to Portage Lake and do a bit of hiking/sightseeing there if time permits...but we DO NOT plan to drive all the way back to Seward.   You're right, it wouldn't make sense to go get our rental in Anchorage if that were our intention.  Since we plan on a visit to Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau and a hike out to Matanuska Glacier later in the week, we decided we could skip seeing Exit Glacier, and nice as the Kenai Fjords cruises sound, I don't want to give up basically a full day to that one activity. 

 

The train from Seward to Anchorage sounds lovely, but at $113 per person (there are 3 of us), it's a bit more than we want to pay, especially since visits the Wildlife Conservation Center and Mt. Alyeska are high on our priority list. If we took the train, we'd STILL wind up backtracking to see those. And since we much prefer taking our scenic shots while standing still ( I've never had any luck taking an in-focus, decently-composed picture from a moving train or bus) the train just doesn't make sense for us.

 

I know there are tour/shuttle combos that stop at he WCC and Alyeska tram but, after reading multiple reviews, my sense is that their stops are limited to maybe 45 to 60 minutes at most.  Not enough time to really enjoy the visits IMHO.  Besides, I just don't like big bus tours anyway!

 

I can't say I'm really happy that we're going to be back-tracking (which seems like a waste of precious vacation time).  If I had my "druthers"  we'd rent a car at the cruise dock in Seward for the week and return it to Anchorage airport when we fly out a week later.  Unfortunately, the base price to rent in Seward is considerably higher than at the Anchorage airport.  And then, once the additional "transfer fee" for returning the car to a different place was added in, well, the rental car would have cost us more than twice as much! A huge bite out of our overall travel budget for this trip.